Latest news with #EtihadRail
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Construction advances on the UAE-Oman Hafeet Rail project
Construction on the Hafeet Rail project connecting the UAE and Oman is progressing with groundwork and railbed preparation and structural works on major bridges and tunnels underway in both countries, according to a press statement released by the operator on Thursday. In February 2025, Zawya Projects reported that Hafeet Rail awarded strategic contracts for the construction of the railway. The company has signed an signed a logistics agreement with Itaminas Comércio De Minérios S.A., one of Brazil's leading iron ore producers, covering Sohar Port's rail-connected facilities for iron ore import and value-added processing. The Hafeet Rail statement said Itaminas, as part of its long-term growth strategy, is actively exploring the establishment of segments of its value chain in the GCC, capitalising on the region's infrastructure, energy resources, and strategic location. Hafeet Rail, a joint venture between the UAE's Etihad Rail, Mubadala and Asyad Group, is responsible for the implementation and operation of the 238-kilometre (km) railway network. The network will feature 60 bridges, some rising up to 34 metres, and tunnels spanning 2.5km. (Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Sharjah 24
6 days ago
- Business
- Sharjah 24
Theyab bin Mohamed receives Paraguayan Pres. at Wahat Al Karama
Strengthening bilateral cooperation His Highness held a meeting with President of Paraguay, during which they engaged in discussions on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors. The talks underscored the growing ties between the UAE and the Republic of Paraguay. Meeting attendees The meeting was attended by Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development; Dr Al Saghira Wabran Alahbabi, UAE Ambassador to Paraguay, and Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail. Wahat Al Karama visit and memorial tribute Following the meeting, Sheikh Theyab bin Symbolism of Wahat Al Karama President of Paraguay was briefed on Wahat Al Karama, which symbolises the heroism and sacrifices of UAE Nationals in defending the country and protecting its gains and achievements. Acknowledging UAE-Paraguay relations Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed praised the progress of relations between the UAE and the Republic of Paraguay in all fields, with the support and guidance of the two countries' leaderships to achieve the common interest of the two nations. Honouring the fallen heroes His Highness reaffirmed that Wahat Al Karama embodies the gratitude and appreciation of the UAE leadership towards its heroes, who gave their precious lives for the sake of the homeland, symbolising the values of heroism, courage and sacrifice that Emirati generations proudly uphold. Closing tribute At the end of the tour, the President of the Republic of Paraguay penned a message in the Wahat Al Karama guestbook expressing his appreciation for the martyrs of the UAE.
What's On
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- What's On
RTA launches 'bus pooling' service for daily commuters
Bus pooling is like car pooling, but RTA edition… Thousands of daily commuters in the UAE use car pooling services to make their journeys. Some do it to save cost on petrol, tolls and parking, some who don't drive do it for easy commuting, some do it for convenience and some do it to be eco-conscious. All these are great benefits of car pooling, and now RTA is offering a licensed version of this incredibly popular private service. The new RTA Bus Pooling service is offering daily commuters with fixed journeys a great option to move across Dubai. The service offers door-to-door service at affordable prices tailored to your daily routine, and delivered by fully licensed and RTA-regulated operators. The cost-effective service is also sustainable, reducing the number of cars on the roads used to transport individuals and curbing traffic and congestion, a ongoing source of distress for the Dubai workforce. It is available citywide, and is ideal for set, daily commutes to workplaces, universities, and other destinations across the city. Commuters can book the service conveniently through the DrivenBus, Fluxx Daily, or Citylink Dubai mobile applications, all operators licensed by RTA. New from the RTA… Several announcements have been made by RTA in the recent past about updates to the public transport network. The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA) may soon be introducing a new vehicle to the public transport network – the electric bus. A recent pilot operation launched by the authority involves a new electric bus on route F13, a feeder bus service between Al Quoz Bus Depot and the Dubai Mall Metro Bus Stop. The RTA is taking big strides in attempts to expand and encourage the usage of public transport in the city, a way also to ease the perennial traffic problem of Dubai. Some of the new transport systems being announced or introduced, in addition to a massive expansion of the Metro network, include the Rail Bus, Bus-on-Demand, the Etihad Rail, Sky Pods and flying taxis. Read more here. @rta_dubai Images: Socials/Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
The National
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The National
As Etihad Rail announces 2026 launch, what will it take to get people out of their cars and onto trains?
The opening of passenger train services in the UAE next year will be a major step forward in the country's public transport provision – but will it get people out of their cars? As reported in The National, Etihad Rail announced this month that passenger operations will begin in 2026, with the first four stations of an eventual countrywide network set to be Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah. Etihad Rail will be keen to tempt UAE residents out of their vehicles through its promise of carriages capable of carrying 400 passengers each and trains that will travel at 200kph. The launch will be one of the most important milestones in public transport in the Gulf since the 2009 debut of Dubai Metro, which has proved to be enormously popular, with more than 250 million passenger journeys now recorded each year, according to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority. The network is continuing to expand. Yet this success has not eliminated the emirate's traffic congestion, which eased during the Covid-19 pandemic before returning with a vengeance. Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has studied Gulf cities, said that one factor that encouraged car use in the region is its low cost. 'In the Gulf, low petrol prices combined with underinvestment in public transport, particularly in terms of network coverage, frequency and reliability, continue to incentivise those who can drive to do so,' she said. UAE fuel prices this month range from Dh2.39 to Dh2.58 per litre, less than half of what it costs in, for example, some Western nations, where significant taxes are imposed on petrol and diesel. Another incentive to drive is the often significantly lower cost to buy a car in the UAE than in other markets. Many other major cities, such as Singapore and London, tend to have stronger financial disincentives to vehicle use, coupled with high-quality public transport. Prof Marcus Enoch, professor of transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK, said that London showed that restrictions on cars could encourage public transport use. Congestion charging was introduced there in 2003 by the mayor, Ken Livingstone, with the promise that revenue would be invested in public transport, aiding less well-off people unable to afford the toll. 'Congestion charging is fairly progressive in the sense that people who can afford to drive will never change; they will pay for the privilege of driving,' Prof Enoch said. 'People with less money probably will not drive as much and they will benefit from improved public transport.' London also shows, however, that measures to restrict car use can face huge political headwinds, with the current mayor, Sadiq Khan, having met significant opposition to his 2023 expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which imposes an additional charge on vehicles that create greater pollution. Singapore is often held up as the poster child for effective traffic management, with its Electronic Road Pricing imposing high charges for entering certain areas at peak times. From the beginning of this year, Dubai's Salik system introduced similar dynamic pricing, with larger fees levied at from 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm. Abu Dhabi too has a road toll system, Darb, which charges at peak times. However, these charges have not stemmed the growth in the volume of traffic as the cities develop and their populations increase. Salik recently reported a 9.3 per cent annual increase in the number of active vehicles to 4.47 million, while in the first three months of this year the tally of journeys rocketed by 35.1 per cent year-on-year to 210.8 million. To get people out of their cars, public transport must be high-quality, which the UAE's new rail services are likely to be, said Prof Enoch. It must also, he said, be 'significantly faster than the car', which is especially likely to be the case with high-speed rail. Etihad Rail has said that the Dubai to Abu Dhabi journey on its trains will take around 57 minutes, and Fujairah to Abu Dhabi will take about 105 minutes. A separate high-speed service between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will probably further undercut the time taken by road. 'The need is to make sure access to the high-speed stations is well served by public transport,' Prof Enoch said. 'You probably need to look at feeder buses and foot pedestrian infrastructure, which in the UAE maybe means air-conditioned walkways or cheap taxis that will get people from the stations to where they live.' The physical structure of urban areas in the region is another factor that, according to transport analysts, leads to the use of cars rather than public transport. Dr Gomes said that the 'extensive sprawl of Gulf cities', characterised by low-density and 'leapfrog development', increases distances between home and work. 'This urban development makes it difficult to create compact, connected and co-ordinated environments that are needed to support effective public transport systems, further encouraging car use,' Dr Gomes said. The continued development of roads and parking provision in the region's towns and cities can, Dr Gomes said, discourage walking, meeting or even playing. 'This, combined with the perceived freedom associated with car use and the lack of a reliable transport alternative, leads even more people to rely on private vehicles and meet in indoor areas such as shopping centres,' she said. Dr Gomes said that other measures to reduce car dependence included creating mixed-use developments and making residential areas more walkable, although she cautioned that they were unlikely to be sufficient on their own. 'The Gulf needs to develop urban form and transport in tandem, each reinforcing the other, by promoting designs that provide shading – narrower streets, such as the traditional Sikka, are just an example – and reimagining streets as public spaces rather than corridors for cars. This integrated approach can help create the conditions for people to walk more and drive less,' she said. 'There is an urgent need for the Gulf to address climate change and adopt more sustainable urban practices, with public transport and active mobility playing a fundamental role in this transition.'
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Etihad Rail: UAE resident among first to try passenger train; what to expect from service
Starting next year, UAE residents will be able to traverse the length and breadth of the country on the Etihad Rail. A destination marketer and member of the National Experts' Programme who recently rode the train from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah recounted the trip and shared a video of it. Experiencing the train 'firsthand was an unforgettable milestone' and a 'powerful reminder' of how far the UAE has come in building a 'sustainable, interconnected future', said Sarah Luqman. Sarah was part of a group that travelled from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah to attend the 5th module of the National Experts Programme (NEP). The programme is a launchpad for UAE-based specialists to play a role in the transformation of future-growth sectors and is currently in its fourth cohort. It has been confirmed that the passenger train, once opened to the public, will take 57 minutes to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Going from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah will take around 100 minutes, while travelling from Abu Dhabi To Ruwais will take around 70 minutes. In comments to her video that went viral, Sarah said: "The experience was nothing short of exceptional: seamless comfort, world-class service, and breathtaking views through the heart of the UAE. It was a powerful reminder of how far our nation has come in building a sustainable, interconnected future." Last week, during a meeting between Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and a delegation from Etihad Rail, it was revealed that the Etihad Rail is set to launch its passenger train service in 2026. Speed screen, comfortable seats A video posted by Sarah gives a better glimpse into what a trip on the train looks like. Light grey comfortable seats are arranged in clusters of four, presumably in the economy compartment, with a table in between. There are luggage racks running above the seats to keep bags on it. An earlier video posted by a content creator had revealed that approximately 400 people will fit into one passenger train — which will have business and economy class compartments. A screen inside the train displays the route of the journey and indicates where the train is. It also shows the exact speed of the train at any given point and has information about the time and outside temperature. Some of the snippets show a part of the train with the Adnoc Oasis branding on top of it. It is not immediately clear whether the trains will have the convenience store serving their signature food and drinks. In January last year, Sultan Al Jaber and ADNOC's leadership team had made the first Etihad Rail passenger journey from Abu Dhabi city to Al Dhannah. There, Sultan reviewed the progress of several key ADNOC projects. Take a look at a video of Sarah's trip on the train: Scenery Giving travellers a glimpse of the beauty of the country including the desert landscape and lush greenery, according to Sarah, the journey provides 'seamless comfort, world-class service, and breathtaking views through the heart of the UAE". Earlier, engineer Kholoud Al Mazrouei had said that the biggest highlight of the train journey would be its scenery. 'You can see different views and landscapes such as the Almaha forests and the natural beauty of Fujairah. You can also see several landmarks in the UAE that you would not be able to if you are travelling by car.' Last month, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in collaboration with Etihad Rail opened a three-lane flyover to improve traffic flow on Al Yalayis Street to ensure the smooth movement of trains by 'completely separating the movement of trains from vehicles".
